In yesterday’s post, we mentioned five dog training tips. Here are five more that will hopefully make training and everyday life easier.

1. Have realistic expectations

Changing a behavior takes time, especially if it’s a deeply rooted habit that has been going on for a long time. Re-training an adult dog takes longer than teaching a puppy the first time. It is never too late to change a behavior, but some things will take longer than others.

For example, if you’ve allowed your dog to jump up to greet people for five years,  but decide that the behavior isn’t okay anymore, it will take a while to learn a new way of greeting.

2. Some behaviors are harder to change

Barking, digging, and jumping are “normal” behavior for a dog, and these things will take longer to change even with diligent training than re-learning a trained behavior. Be patient and consistent.

Barking, digging, and jumping are often considered problem behaviors. In order to teach a dog not to bark, it can be useful to teach him or her to bark on command first. If your dog loves to dig, it can help to give an allowed digging spot, like a doggy sandbox. If your dog jumps on people, try teaching a good “sit” and give the command “sit” before he actually jumps.

3. Watch what you reinforce

The philosophy, “do as I say, not as I do” will not work on a dog. If you accidentally encourage an unwanted behavior, it will take a long time to “un-train” it.

For example, your dog jumps on the door to make you open it. If you give in, the dog will know that jumping on the door makes it come open. Instead, make your dog sit before you open. It might not work at once, but dogs are smart and good at making connections.

Another example is if your dog brings you a tennis ball and barks to make you throw it. If you throw the ball, the dog learns that barking makes you play. The next time he comes with the ball and barks you say no, but he keeps barking. If you throw the ball now, your clever pooch will know that persistence pays off. Ignore the barking and tell your dog to sit before you throw it.

It is much easier to handle a dog who thinks sitting brings good things than one who knows that barking or jumping brings good things.

4. Rewards are good

Many dog owners feel that using treats to train their dog is the same as bribing the dog. You don’t have to use treats for training, but there’s no harm in it if it helps you keep your dog’s attention. Other good rewards are a toy, praise, and play. As long as the behavior you want produces the reward you’re good.

5. Give new dogs and puppies limited freedom

Limiting freedom to the house can sound harsh, but when you bring home a new puppy or a dog from a shelter, both your life and the dog’s will be easier if you start with a small area and gradually open up your home. Let your new furry friend get used to the new place, the family, and your rules.

As a dog owner, training is both fun, necessary, and a responsibility and here in dog training tips 1 we will explore some of the basics. Dogs generally want to please their humans, but they aren’t born with general knowledge of how to behave, so we have to teach them. 

Whether you want to teach your dog basic obedience, to do tricks, or to use a dog door, the training process will be easier if you know the basics. We’ve collected some training tips, and here are one through five. Come back tomorrow for five more!

1. Learn to listen to your dog

This might sound like a strange tip – the article is supposed to be about dog training and not human training – but learning to listen and understand the dog sets the foundation for everything else. Paying attention to dogs helps us learn their body language, and you will soon know exactly what your dog wants or feels.

2. Be generous with affection

We’re usually pretty quick to say no, or scold the dog when something goes wrong, and less prone to give praise when things are right. Give your dog lots of affection and attention when he or she does the right thing. It’s okay to be over the top – it makes your dog feel that sitting, staying, coming, whatever it might be was a really good thing that’s worth the effort of doing again.

3. Figure out what your dog likes

When you’re training your dog it helps to have a reward they really like. This is often a treat, but can also be a toy, or your affection. When it comes to treats, most dogs prefer soft, chewy, and smelly treats over hard and crunchy treats. If you find something your dog really loves, training will be a breeze.

4. Be clear about what you want

Humans generalize well, but dogs don’t. This often leads to a clash when we say “no” and think it’s perfectly clear that no means “stop jumping,” or “get off the sofa.” A dog can draw the conclusion that no means “jump higher” or “lie down instead of sitting.” You will get better results if you tell the dog what you want him to do instead. For example, if the dog is jumping, making him sit will work better than just saying no.

5. Be consistent

Your dog is learning how to handle the world, and being consistent helps. Some dogs are quite able to learn that “release” and “drop” mean the same thing, but it will be much easier for your dog to learn if everyone in the family uses the same command. Agree on family rules. Is the dog allowed in all rooms? Is the dog allowed on the furniture?